(EN) Report on the population of Skyrim
by PenArt
Summary: These documents (still in draft form) were found on a Khajiit among other dead in a northern ruin. His legs were missing, apparently eaten by draugrs.


_AN: English isn't my first language, I have translated my own fic (French, that you can find there: s/11490226/1/Reportage-sur-la-population-de-Skyrim)_

 _Edit:_ _A great thanks to_ _ _empire1003 to be the beta!  
__

 _I think it's harder to translate from French to English than the reverse!_

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 _{These documents (still in draft form) were found on a Khajiit among other dead in a northern ruin. His legs were missing, apparently eaten by draugrs.}_

* * *

In this report, we have seen unusual things, and have even met some legends, yes, literally!  
 _The team of the Gazette "The White Fox"._

888

 **[Introduction]**

Many have already heard of the province of Skyrim, and some have even walked on this land.  
In this report, we taken interest in its humanoid residents. Because even if Skyrim is known for its very cold regions, all of its territory is not covered with snow and glaciers, far from it! We can meet all humanoid races (Nords, Imperial, Wood Elves, Dark Elves, High Elves, Argonians, Orcs and even Khajiits) and giants whose level of intelligence is still subject to discussion. _(See Part "Giants")_

888

 **[Arrival]**

Our team from the Imperial City has managed to cross the border, which is currently closed as you know, because of unrest following the death of the High King of Skyrim.  
Our smuggler, an Wood elf we will keep anonymous, knows the area - since hunting there - brought us to spend our first night in Skyrim in an abandoned hunting cabin.  
We then left for Helgen to discover our first city. During our journey, we passed several Imperial patrols, and we have not been arrested because of our disguise: for this trip, due to the political unrest, our team was formed of Khajiit only. Because currently, groups of travellers are very suspicious (it could be troop movements), with the exception of Khajiit merchants (always in groups) who have not taken part in the conflict.  
The area around Helgen is verdant. Our caravan settled down outside of Helgen.

888

 **[Helgen]**

Helgen is inhabited by indigenous Nords, but also by the Imperials because of the Imperial garrison stationed in this city. The population of this city lives well, mainly from breeding goats and chickens as well as farming.  
What is shocking here is to see children!  
In fact it seems that the children here to be instructed are not sent to the College of Winterhold, which despite some may think I remind you, not only serves to teach magic! We see that the Empire lost its influence here. After some discussion with people, we discovered a not hidden hostility to magic-users here, and that we have found throughout our trip. Perhaps this is due to the Thalmor (formed of High Elves, a race known for its acquaintance with magic).

On our fifth day at Helgen, we have been witnesses of something terrible and wonderful at once.

As we prepared to leave the city, we learned of the arrival of Stormcloack prisoners who were to be executed, Helgen lacking a prison. The Imperial soldiers have neither the time nor the means to transport prisoners for several miles to put them in prison. Especially when we saw how small the prison cells are in Skyrim _(see part "Prisons")_ , as we will see later.  
Unfortunately with Stormcloack prisoners, the imperial soldiers were very nervous - perhaps they feared an attack - So we have not been able to approach any prisoners for a final interview.  
In fact, we were thrown out of the gates of the city. However it was a blessing, because at almost the same time, we heard a kind of roar that resounded in the sky. It did not make a single noise arising and hovering in the air over Helgen. It was a dark dragon, huge. Yes, you read correctly! We saw a dragon! But it was not the incarnation of Akatosh, I can assure you, because he immediately set Helgen on fire! The shouting and screaming were atrocious, but for you to be able to read our report, we had to stay alive. And then what would we have been able to do against a dragon? So we stayed in the forest and spent the night there. It was only the next day that we headed to Helgen.  
There were no survivors.  
The smell of burnt wood and flesh did not allow us to stay longer, but we have seen very much damages on buildings, and even the partial collapse of a stone tower! The total destruction of a city in a few hours! Hope that this dragon will not pass the Jerall mountains!

888

 **[Riften]**

This city strongly reminded us of Bravil by its wooden buildings at the waterside, but above all by the air of poverty that emerges from a section of the city. Attention! Do not think that the whole city is like that, not at all! There are beautiful places with small gardens, small bridges that pass over the canals that contribute to the charm of this city.  
However the atmosphere in this city is not the best, and the authorities in place, hostile. And it is no better with the guards, where corruption is required: one Khajiit of our team has been unjustly accused of theft in one of the hostels while examining a carved silver plate. The guard who had "caught him in the act" had to be paid fifty gold coins!  
People here, especially retailers, do not talk much. But a customer has taught us that there is a persistent rumor that the Thieves Guild would crack down here! It is true that we have sometimes seen hooded individuals on the market square, sneakily moving from stall to stall. We have not found them very discreet, but no one seemed to mind...  
At Riften, we should also note the presence of an orphanage, which is strange because we have not seen any children in this city.  
Regarding the climate in Riften, it is very mild, and Cyrodiilics who would visit would not be uncomfortable.  
In its lower levels, the city has an underground network. Our team of Khajiits, through its various skills, managed to get inside. Apart from a few temperamental homeless adventurers, we have not seen anything interesting. But we did not venture too far. It seems that the mutation of Cyrodilic sewer rat has not yet reached Skyrim. (This unfortunate mutation is suspected of having been created by alchemy students in the basement of the Arcane University in the Imperial City, there have already been several centuries of this.)

888

 **[Windhelm]**

Our journey has continued to Windhelm, which is an awful town with an awful climate and awful inhabitants. In short, avoid this city.  
But as we are reporters, thus brave, we have faced up to staying here.  
The first problem, the guards prevented us from entering the city. The "beasts" are not allowed. We couldn't camp out because of the snow and cold.  
We had to tweak it and went around the immense walls of this very fortified city on the edge of a wide river. (It was so cold that some parts had frozen!)  
It was on the docks that we were able to "infiltrate" into the population (only "beasts" in this port). An Argonian allowed us to stay in an empty warehouse. You guessed it, this city is deeply racist. Apparently the Dark Elves can reside in the city but would not be betteroff than us; they would be, it seems, confined in a tumbledown district.  
And the leader of this city is Ulfric Stormcloack! Immediately his cause seems less noble. And as a matter of fact this, plus the bad weather and the presence of a apparently serial killer within the walls of this city did not encourage our team to attempt a furtive incursion.  
Because yes there is right now in Windhelm a serial killer: so far only women died. Our team is mixed, and even if there were still no murders on the docks we preferred to leave. And as to give us reason it starts to be more and more rumors about dragon sightings, and as a matter of fact we are not the last to speak!

888

 **[Winterhold]**

We expected to find a big city, these are just poor hovels which welcomed us. Here the weather is worse than Windhelm, the few hours it is day, a blizzard is raging most of the time.  
We understand in this case that the residents leave. Things are abandoned, evidenced by a home ravaged by fire.  
There's still a hostel where we spent the night. The next day we headed to the College of Winterhold, under a still miserable weather. (Some of us have speculated that it might be a spell that had gone bad, but maybe we start to be influenced by the Anti-Magic general opinion.)  
In such a difficult opinion of mages, you would think they would be more open, but it's just the opposite!  
A mage guard blocks the road to everyone except those who can cast a spell. We were able to visit the academy, and that is worth seeing! The library is vast, and has certainly a unique librarian (an orc!). Pride of place for any scholar. There are still some teachers but very few students.  
Apparently the Dovahkiin took classes here, though he was not present during our visit. But we learned from some comrade Khajiit that he was heading to Solitude.  
We hit the road with on one side sea ice and the other huge ice walls.

888

 **[Dawnstar]**

We went through Dawnstar, no particular interest except this elf who had the strange idea of turning his house into a museum dedicated to the Mythic Dawn, this infamous cult responsible for the assassination of Uriel Septim VII in the year 433 of the Third Age. An idea of such incredible bad taste could not have happened in Cyrodiil!  
We still newsworthy visited this museum / home. There is a dagger, an devotee's outfit and a book with strange symbols half burnt.  
There is no need to make much effort to assume that this elf was a part of the Mythic Dawn there is almost 200 years.

888

 **[Morthal]**

Our next stop was the city of Morthal, which will bore you to death.  
Really, we further prefer Windhelm, which says a lot!

As we approached Dragon Bridge we heard another dragon and sighted it later circling around a distant silhouette. It was so far away, we could only observe their fight. We have seen and heard fighting with shouts from each of them, yes even the dragon!  
We were able to watch this for more than an hour. We have not been able to join them to help the Dovahkiin, the horse carrying our luggage being unfortunately too nervous... and our group of Khajiits, with our bows and magic, wasn't powerful enough to fight at the Dovahkiin's side ... yes, it was better to let him fight by himself. For his glory.

Approaching the abandoned carcass of the dragon, we found that there remained nothing but bones! There were a lot of miscellaneous loot such as forks, silver dishes, swords and armors scattered on the ground. The Dovahkiin had since long disappeared.

888

 **[Interview with the Dovahkiin]**

 _(In his house in Whiterun)_

INTERVIEWER - Hello, Dovahkiin. Or would you prefer I call you by your real name? Can you tell us your real name?

DOVAHKIIN - Uh ... hello. And, uh, everyone calls me Dovahkiin now, and I prefer to have the option to remain anonymous - to a certain extent ...

INTERVIEWER - Oh? Why do people seek you?

DOVAHKIIN - In your opinion ...?

INTERVIEWER - Ah yes, but our readers are far from Skyrim, they do not understand everything that is happening, you know? Can you explain a little bit?

DOVAHKIIN - Well ... There are always the Thalmor ...

INTERVIEWER - What do they want and why?

DOVAHKIIN - Oh you know here in Skyrim, first kill, then ask questions, so ... Well, the trouble started ... er ... in fact I was invited to a party at the Embassy near Solitude, and things did not end well.

INTERVIEWER - A party! The Thalmor!?

DOVAHKIIN - Yes it is a little surprising when you know them ...

INTERVIEWER - So what happened?

DOVAHKIIN - Well the party was not too bad, there were some people I knew -

INTERVIEWER - The Thalmor?

DOVAHKIIN - Uh ... Well, there were not only Thalmor.

INTERVIEWER - Ah.

DOVAHKIIN - Yes, well anyway ... after I got lost in the embassy and I happened to open the basement door ...

INTERVIEWER - Hmm hmm.

DOVAHKIIN - They torture people there. I hid, but they saw me - they tried to kill me - but I managed to escape.

INTERVIEWER - Incredible! But why do they do that at the embassy? Everyone knows they have commandeered a fort in the far northwest near the sea, to "treat" opponents.

DOVAHKIIN - Don't ask me. Politics and me ...

INTERVIEWER - So you're aware of what caused the "Massacre at the Thalmor Embassy"? Apparently there was some delay returning to the embassy after an absence of several weeks, one of the Thalmor groups that travel through Skyrim would have found an embassy without any sign of life. Bodies strewn everywhere, even in the barracks!

DOVAHKIIN - Huh ...

INTERVIEWER - Some have speculated that the Daedra could have had something to do with it.

DOVAHKIIN - Oh, I doubt that _*grin*_ ... Uh ... I mean most of the time the Daedra do nothing, they entrust the tasks to mortals.

INTERVIEWER - You look like you know the ropes ...

DOVAHKIIN - Er I already met some Daedra ...

INTERVIEWER - Really!?

DOVAHKIIN - Yes, let's see ... The white deer I had to hunt, the sacrifice of a friend ... um of course I didn't it.

INTERVIEWER - _*Silence*_ Of course. _*Silence*_ So, and other than the Thalmor, are there other groups that want to harm you?

DOVAHKIIN - Well it's funny, now that I think of it, a few weeks ago, when I was leaving my house in the morning to go to market, a small group of oddly dressed guys attacked me in the street -

INTERVIEWER - What, here, in broad daylight in Whiterun?

DOVAHKIIN - Yes, some screaming that I was a fake Dovahkiin.

INTERVIEWER - Fake Dovahkiin?

DOVAHKIIN - Yes, weird isn't it, as some here were at my first soul's absorption, that's rather a visible thing. And others since. Once I killed a dragon that crashed in a village, lot of people saw me. The street was completely blocked by the carcass.

INTERVIEWER - So you're not that anonymous, really.

DOVAHKIIN - Some remember me. But a lot of people wear a horned helmet like I did at first.

INTERVIEWER - Yes now you definitely have a unique armor. _*Smile*_

DOVAHKIIN - I may have the soul of a dragon ... but I haven't his skin. And to fight one, you better be very well equipped, a mistake and you're dead.

INTERVIEWER - So ... except this strange little group, nothing else?

DOVAHKIIN - After ... it's usually individuals who want me dead rather than organizations - ah yes! There is...

INTERVIEWER - Yes?

DOVAHKIIN - Hmm ... This is a group that hunts vampires, they can not bear any vampire, but there are some who are peaceful!

INTERVIEWER - Are you kidding me?!

 _[Lydia intervenes]_

LYDIA - Oh, my thane has been saying this since returning this month.

INTERVIEWER - Your return.

DOVAHKIIN - I travel a lot, long time, I love to explore new places.

INTERVIEWER - Oh, so you're married? And you expect a child, as I can see!

LYDIA - _*eating a sweet roll*_ No I am the bodyguard of my thane, I'll protect him with my LIFE!

INTERVIEWER - _*incredulous*_ You're the bodyguard of the Dovahkiin?

DOVAHKIIN - _*sighs, muttering*_ No, in fact she guards the house. And she's not pregnant ... It's the sweet rolls.

INTERVIEWER - Hum I see. _*Looks at his notes*_ So wo are the people who want you dead? Or who hate you?

DOVAHKIIN - _*sigh*_ Oh well, you know like I do not like politics? I unfortunately had to decide the political fate of Skyrim at a summit between all the protagonists: Stormcloacks, Imperials, Thalmor, Blades ... I really tried to please everybody, and now they all hate me.

INTERVIEWER - What happened?

DOVAHKIIN - Some Jarls lost their position.

INTERVIEWER - Oh yes, I can understand, a stranger who comes to decide their life for them...

DOVAHKIIN - Yes, I avoid Windhelm's castle now. Did you know they have left the corpse of Ulfric in the throne room?

INTERVIEWER - No!

DOVAHKIIN - Yes! It is a horror, he froze in the position in which he collapsed ... It's really freezing in the throne room, there are just a few lights side of the throne, but it's not enough .. .

INTERVIEWER - God, but why do they let him?

DOVAHKIIN - _*shrugs*_ I don't know, maybe to make me feel guilty when I see him, or they think he'll resurrect in one way or another, as he could also use shouts...

888

 _[At the end of the interview Dovahkiin told us_ really _what he thinks of the people here ...]_

DOVAHKIIN: You know, sometimes I wish I had more help, why I have to do _everything_ alone? When a dragon attacks, people are hiding in their homes and wait for me to come kill it, alone. While I'm on the other end of the country they wait for days and days. _*Sigh*_  
I've seen travellers turn around when they saw me cornered behind a pile of rocks, short of arrows.

And then they dare to cheer me, or worse, ask for my help. Let me tell you, Skyrim's peoples are incompetents. To defend oneself ? Deliver a package? Call the Dovahkiin. Albeit me, at least when I deliver something, I'm not naked. I swear people here are crazy.

Well looky here for example: as I am Archmage, occasionally I go for a walk at the Academy. Well the last time I went, I inspected the dormitories, as usual I find a bunch of beer bottles, and move on... but then Faralda - a teacher - skips in front of me - _"Hello Archmage, how are you?"_ \- in her underwear! o0. Clearly they cannot manage themselves when I'm not there _*sigh*_.

888

 **[Giants]**

The Giants (with mammoths) are characteristic of Skyrim. Our natural Khajiit's curiosity was piqued when during our talks with the Dovahkiin, he told us about meeting a giant with a cow painted with strange symbols. And also one time sold a goat to a giant!  
This meant that the giants were not so "wild" after all! We have therefore taken an interest in those strange humanoids.  
They live by breeding mammoths. Although "breeding" is probably not the best term since these animals are just as wild as their counterparts without "guardians". Despite our attempts to approach to determine the supposed intelligence of giants, we resigned ourselves to looking from a distance in the end. To our regret, three of us have died in our attempts to approach. You should know that despite their apparent slowness, the giants can move much faster than us! Only one of their steps and we are already outstripped! Given that the three deaths occurred in meetings with three different giants, we have doubts about their apparent placidity. Likewise for their "intelligence", since their procedure was the same the three times: they all carry a huge club which they used to literally send to heaven our three unfortunate Khajiit comrades. We pass over the details, but we could find the body of only one of them, and it was by chance. There was not much, just enough for a new pair of fur-lined boots.  
The strength of these giants is impressive, especially considering that they could be the cause of these strange cases of mammoths falling from the sky, a fact almost commonplace for every inhabitant of Skyrim.  
In conclusion, giants are dangerous and the cheeses they create from mammoth's milk certainly not worth the trouble! Their smell is terrible and the taste even worse!

888

 **[Population outside towns and villages]**

It is a fact that may surprise you, but the number of people living in the desolate lands of Skyrim is probably greater than in all the towns and villages of Skyrim combined. It is composed primarily of bandits (in saddening numbers) and conjurers (probably due to the general rejection of Magic) from what we saw.

888

 **[Prisons]** \- _detailed maps attached_

We managed to visit all the prisons of Skyrim and we'll do the inventory for you (in case). We also created maps really _accurate_ for a purely informative purpose, of course.

 _{Several pages torn}_

888

 **[Exploration of a ruin]**

Our group decided to explore at least one Nordic ruin before our return to Cyrodiil. After all, what could go wrong? The Dovahkiin had already "explored" it according to a local resident.

888

We are hardly entered, already blocked.  
A huge locked door, we must find the right combination on pivoting pillars. There are symbols on it: bird, bear, wolf ...

We have not yet understood their meanings ...

888

Monsters! There're everywhere ! This ruin had to be empty after the passing of the Dragonborn!

888

Our team suffered many injuries. We managed to pass through several rooms filled with antique ceramics. Less gold coins than in the pocket of a beggar. Nothing interesting.

888

We don't have any more potions.  
The draugrs are very powerful. One of ours died being thrown against a wall by a draugr with just a shout!

We haven't the power, I think.

~ END ~

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 _AN: My first fanfic!_  
 _In writing it I could not help but find an explanation for everything (the mutant rats, the presence of children, mammoth's falls etc.), but I enjoyed it! 8D_  
 _There are anecdotes that I really got in game...:D_


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